


Redemption, Maybe

by chiixil_84



Series: Sincerely, Universe [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon), Steven Universe - Fandom
Genre: Amethyst Mentioned, Crystal Gems, Diamonds Mentioned, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fights, Fist Fights, Gen, Greg Universe Mentioned - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Jasper/Lapis Lazuli (Steven Universe), Jasper Has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD (Steven Universe), Jasper Redemption (Steven Universe), Lapis Lazuli Mentioned, Mentioned Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, Obsidian Mentioned, Other, Past Jasper/Lapis Lazuli (Steven Universe), Peridot mentioned, Pink Steven Shenanigans, Post-Steven Universe: The Movie, Spinel Mentioned, Steven Universe Future, Steven Universe Has PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Talking, let's talk about our feelings, with our fists
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:47:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25331134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chiixil_84/pseuds/chiixil_84
Summary: “Why are you here?”The softness of the words startled Steven, and he had to work them over in his head for a minute before offering Jasper a reply.“Give us another chance,” he began, hoping his tone was gentle. “I-I don’t know why you left. You and Lapis --”“You don’t know what I went through.”Steven stopped, finally taking in the quartz. “Don’t you even feel an inkling of remorse for how you treated them?"If she replied, he didn’t hear it; the punch she threw at him sent him flying back into the forest, knocking the wind right out of him.He didn’t want the conversation to go like this, but he came into this situation knowing this was how it was going to end. Alright, then; no more Mister Nice Steven, he thought as he readied for her next attack.
Relationships: Amethyst & Jasper (Steven Universe), Jasper & Lapis Lazuli & Peridot (Steven Universe), Jasper & Lapis Lazuli (Steven Universe), Jasper & Steven Universe, Jasper/Lapis Lazuli (Steven Universe)
Series: Sincerely, Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1834678
Kudos: 20





	Redemption, Maybe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DangerMom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DangerMom/gifts).



He didn’t really know what he was doing. 

That wasn’t really a _new_ thing for Steven, if he was being honest, but this time around came with a flurry of emotions that made him want to puke up his breakfast. He wouldn’t call it _anxiety;_ that’s what he felt when he met Blue and Yellow for the trial. Certainly, it was no-where near _terror;_ that day on the cliff with Spinel and the injector was a branch of fear he never wanted to meet again. 

This was more like... the way Obsidian always had lava bubbling in their chest, flowing throughout their body with some uncomfortable but familiar heat. It always hurt to move and to keep pushing forward, but once they’d overcome the pain it was just... there. 

Like his dad’s everlasting sunburn. 

The teenager wondered if aloe vera was safe enough to eat, or if he had to go through another bottle of Tums before he’d start feeling better. 

He stood at the edge of a clearing, stones the size of cars overturned and holes remained where trees had been ripped clean out down to their roots. About thirty feet in front of him sat a series of rocks haphazardly stacked on top of each other, almost like a failed house of cards. 

Even at the edge of the forest, the boy couldn’t hear any animal noises coming from its deeper pockets. Whatever caused this trauma to the forest, the forest knew to stay away. 

Taking in a deep breath, Steven called out, “Hey, Jasper?” 

His reply was utter silence. 

Rolling his eyes, the teenager took a step forward, that weird bubbling feeling in his chest heating up even more as he shouted, “C’mon, don’t ignore me. I know you’re here; I just want to _help_.” 

Before he had taken more than three steps into the clearing, Jasper came out of her hiding place and easily jumped the distance from her rock cave to just before him. Though she’d been quick, there was very little dust kicked up from her landing. 

Startled, he took a step back, but managed to keep his ground despite her sudden appearance; though Steven knew he could take her – heck, a part of him _wanted_ her to try something – it was a part of himself he didn’t really like to listen to, and was becoming harder to ignore every day. He just wanted to go back to the way things had been before, and to try and work things out _civilly_. 

That’s what he was good at, right? Keeping the universe at peace through song and talking things over? 

As he stared at the gem before him, watching and waiting for her to make her next move, Steven could see Jasper’s lips moving, but couldn’t really make any of her words out; the bubbling was almost boiling over, and he almost felt too exhausted to fight it now that he stood in front of her. “Could you p-please repeat that?” he tried, forcing himself to refocus his attention from the warmth in his chest to the quartz soldier’s deeply scowling expression. _Why am I so light-headed?_ he thought, one of his hands moving up to rub his temple. _What’s wrong with me?_

Sighing exaggeratedly, putting a hand on a hip as she straightened up, Jasper growled, her words much clearer this time, “I don’t _need_ your help.” She threw her other hand towards the direction of Little Homeschool, adding, “Go back to your defective brood, and leave _me_ out of it.” 

Frowning, Steven shot back, “Hey, don’t call them that! If you’re angry at me, keep it right here.” He gestured to himself, trying to meet her eyes; even though she was looking down at him, Jasper wasn’t really looking _at_ him. 

That made the teenager even more frustrated. The least she could do was _look_ at him when they were talking, despite everything that’s happened. 

Huffing, Jasper gave him a dismissive grunt and asked, turning her head away from him, “Do you really think I care?” 

“Yes,” Steven blurted out before he could think of a more tactful answer. 

The quartz’s gaze was suddenly on him, and he had half a mind to try and take it back or throw his hands over his mouth. Instead, at the behest of the growing heat in his chest, Steven kept going. “If you didn’t care, Jasper,” the teenager started, taking another step towards her, “you would’ve left Earth a long time ago.” With a harsh laugh, he continued, “You could’ve gone _anywhere_ in the galaxy, and yet you’ve decided to stick around. You’re too – gosh, prideful? Arrogant? _Stubborn?_ ” He shook his head, shouting, “You can’t ever admit when you need help!” He threw a finger at the rockpile and yelled, “You’re living in a cave with _nothing_ and _no one_ around you! How great of a life can this really be for you? I can help you find something better than – _this!!_ ” 

Once he finished speaking, he realized his throat was raw and his chest was heaving as he gasped for air; had he really been screaming? 

Her eyes remained on him long after he quieted down, tracking his movements with terrifying precision. Steven wondered if she would actually attempt to attack him, especially this close to Little Homeschool; sure, she could get in a few good hits... but all he had to do was leave, and she wouldn’t be able to follow him, unless the quartz soldier was ready for a fight. 

_Maybe that was what she wanted,_ he thought absentmindedly as his gaze fell to the dusty ground between them. _Or maybe she just wants to fight_ ** _me._**

Even if she wasn’t outwardly expressing anything – if her frozen-in-place stance was anything to go off of – the one thing he could easily see was that Jasper was _boiling_ with rage; for better or worse, his mother’s aptitude for sensing others’ emotions had passed on to him, and only recently had Steven become aware of it. 

_At least she’s finally looking at me,_ Steven thought, unable to stop himself from sounding bitter in his self-congratulations. 

Sighing, forcing himself to let go of some of the bite in his voice, the teenager reiterated, “You deserve _better_ , Jasper.” His eyes drifted over to the corruption scars on her body, a wave of guilt washing over him. The puking feeling came back a thousand-fold, so he didn’t add, unable to trust he wouldn’t puke it up instead, **_I_** _should’ve treated you better._

A moment passed before the soldier turned her head, her eyes hidden by the harsh cut of her hair. Despite the change of position, he could still see her face ever-so-slightly; despite the fierce expression she’d had only a moment before, now, she looked so _exhausted_. Whether the fight left her or she was forcing herself to let it go as well, Steven couldn’t tell, and could only feel even more guilty for seeing just how truly alone she was. 

Even if she was choosing to live out here, in this mess, he could’ve tried harder to prevent this from happening. At the very least, he _should’ve_ done more for her. 

“Why are you here?” 

The softness of the words startled Steven, and he had to work them over in his head for a minute before offering Jasper a reply. 

“Give us another chance,” he began, hoping his tone was gentle. “You were here throughout the entire reformation of Homeworld and creation of Little Homeworld, and then just – left.” Steven ran a hand through his hair, a deep-set frown pressed into his face as he started pacing. “You left all of us, and we’ve all been so worried. I-I don’t know _why_ you left. You and Lapis –” 

“ _Don’t_ ,” she interjected, her tone sharp as she shot Steven a harsh glare. 

He went on, as if he didn’t hear her, “– were beginning to fix your problems. Sure, it wasn’t a _perfect_ reunion or even the beginning of a friendship, but you two could at least see each other without wanting to throw hands.” 

Quietly, Jasper hissed as she turned away, “You don’t know what I went through. You will _never_ understand what happened to me.” 

“And what about Peridot?” the teenager continued, his voice once again rising as his chest heated up once more. “And the other Crystal Gems who would’ve been on a lower rank than you if we still had the Hierarchy in place?” He threw his arms up as a bitter, confused laugh escaped him. “You were spending time with them, and laughing with them, and finally acting like –” 

“A _fool_ ,” the quartz soldier snarled, balling her fists. She was shaking, and her eyes were once again trained on him; now, however, the boy found that he _liked_ her looking at him that way. 

The bubbling in his chest pooled down his own arms and into his face, and he felt – excitement? Fear? _Resentment?_

Steven stopped, finally taking in the quartz. A beat passed, and he asked, ignoring the boiling once more, “Don’t you even feel an inkling of remorse for how you treated Amethyst? She gave you her _all_ , and you threw it in her face like it was nothing.” 

If she replied, he didn’t hear it; the punch she threw at him sent him flying back into the forest, knocking the wind right out of him. The bubbling in his chest boiled over violently as he tried to catch his breath, looking through the broken branches he’d flown through and back at Jasper. 

She didn’t have her helmet on, but her head was glowing as if it wanted to appear. 

He didn’t want the conversation to go like this, but he came into this situation knowing this was how it was going to end. _Alright, then; no more Mister Nice Steven,_ he thought as he readied for her next attack, pulling his shield up to defend himself. 

This was going to be a long day. 

**Author's Note:**

> hey! so I really liked the movie, and future, and well... thought I'd write something up about Steven and Jasper??
> 
> I feel like they could've done so much more with her. Oh, well; that's what this is for I guess lol.
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy!
> 
> (Written as a gift for one of my friends, Krystal. <3)


End file.
